Manifold-web-printing machine



1,624685 Aprll 1 2, 1927. JLA. B. SMITH I I MANIFOLD WEB PRINTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 1 I 1,624,685 J. A. B. SMITH MANIFOLD WEB PRINTING MACHINE April 12,1927.

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J. B. SMITH MANIFOLD-WEB PRINTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 //7 Vex? far.-

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Patented Apr. 12, 19 27.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE A. B. SMITH, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, 'ASSIC'NOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

1 MANIFOLD-WEB-PRINTING MACHINE.

Application filed October This invention relates to manifold-webprinting machines, and also to methods of using the same,'both in connection with typewriting machines and independently thereof.

A business firm, such as a bank, often sends its customers brief communications, usually typed on small standard forms,'each of which bears data that is required to be copied on a plurality of associated forms for the information and records of certain departments of'the bank. To prepare rapidly and economically sets of such communications in large quantities, it is desirable to manifoldly print and type, as much as possible, the information appearing thereon, and to reduce to a minimum the operations required for inserting and removing the sets from the printing and typewriting machines.

In my co-pending application, Serial No.

631,956, filed April 14, 1923 (now Patent No.

1,592,470, dated July 13, 1926), is disclosed a method of preparing sets of communica tions by feeding a. work-web, having superposed plies on which have been printed blankforms, to a hand-operated addressing machine for-manifoldingaddresses or other items on the forms, the work-web being subsequently fed to a fan-folding typewriting machine for inanifoldly typing additional data on the forms.

\Vork-webs sometimes have an extra large number of superposed -plies to be manifolded, and in such'cases, there is employed a power-driven addressing machine which can engage its platen against the web with a heavy pressure. Accordingly, in the present i nvention, a motor driven addressing machine which moves a roller platen rear wardly over a Work-sheet is arranged with rollers for guiding a work-web fan-folded longitudinally and transversely from a work-pile in the rear over the type plate magazine to the printing bed of the machine. A carbon-holder is positioned at the rear of the printing'position and holds carhon-sheets interleaved with the plies of the web in such a way that the rolling travel of the platen on the work-web will not tend to tear the carbon-sheets from the holder. 1

For keeping the web f aligned at right angles to the printing line,- adjustable side 'gages'are positioned at the front and rear of printing position. A feature of the invention is the employment ofthe transverse fold line for gaging the forms to printing 9, was. Serial No. 61,431.

position by bringing the fold lines even with the pointer positioned ahead ofprinting position.

\ Another feature is the provision for manually feeding or pulling the web over the printing bed in the opposite direction to the rolling travel of the platen whereby any.

latter result'permits the web to be CODV8l1-' iently fed to a fan-fold typewriting machine for typing additional data on the forms prior to their distribution, as described in said application.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figurel is a. fragmentary side view,- shown partly in section, of a roller-platen addressing machinehaving my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 1s a fragmentary sectlonal View hand-feeding of me of a carbon-sheet-holding mechanism of the present invention, arranged 'on the addresslng machine.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the frame of the addressing machine illustrating the carbon-sheet-holding mec anism' and side gages of the present nvention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the addressing machine, showing the fanfolded web in printing position.

web

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through the addressing machine looking towards its righthand side. Figure 6 is a fragmentary front end view of the addressing machine, showing the at rangement of the platen and the machines inking ribbon with respect to the carbonsheet.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view'of the web unfolded, so as to lie flat.

A multiple addressing machine may include a main horizontal frame having an upright magazine 11 arranged for holding a plurality of printing plates 12 of the kind commonly used in adressing machines. Horizontal rollers 13 and 14 may be mounted at the top and a roller 15 may be mounted adjacent the rear and at the bottom of the plate magazine 11 for. passing or guiding a work-web W, which has been longitudinally and transversely fan-folded, from a workpile W at the rear of the machine over the top of the magazine, downwardly to the under side of a roller 16 mounted on the frame 10 in front of the magazine. A carbon-holder mounting plate 17 is mounted a short distance ahead of the roller 16 and is provided with two blocks 18, one being positioned on each side of the web and arranged with step portions on which may be mounted stiff, thin blades 19 for holding carbon-sheets 20 interleaved between the longitudinal plies A, B, C, etc.,\of the workweb W, The blades 19 may extend alternately from opposite sides between the longitudinal plies of the web. To permit new and unused portions of the carbon-sheets 20 to be easily moved forward while still between the plies of the web to printing position whenever desired, the carbon-holder plate 17 may be slidably mounted on abaseplate 21 having two downwardly-projecting boss-members 22 arranged for engaging in a slot 23 in the main frame 10, said bosses being drilled to receive cap-screws 24 for fastening the plate to the frame. A pair of pins 25 may be riveted to the lower side of the plate 17 for removable engagement in sets of paired holes 28 in the base-plate 21.

. To hold the slidable carbon-holder plate to bear upon the carlmn-holdcr plate with a light pressure.

For keeping the web \V correctly aligned at right angles to the printing line when passing through the addressing machine, rear side gages 31 may be adjustably mountedon the blocks 18 by thumb-screws 32 and front side gages 33 in the form of short inwardly-extending fingers fastened on collars 34, which may be adjustably mounted by set-screws 34 on a stiff rod 35 held in brackets 36 fast on the forward end of the addressing machine, the latter gages being on the opposite side of the printing position from the rear gages. A thin plate 40 having a rectangular printing opening 41 may be fastened on a printing bed portion 10 of the frame 10 over an inked ribbon 42, which may be arranged with automatic means of any suitable kind for feeding it across the web. The plate 40 prevents the first ply. of the web from being smudged by the ribbon.

A roller-platen may be brought down against a set of forms F of the web W at printing position, and rolled rearwardly with a sufiicient pressure to manifoldly print the several'forms from the plate 12 which is at the printing bed 10 at the time. The platen movement is effected by the operative pressing a foot treadle 44 to operate a clutch mechanism, not shown, which may be the same as is commonly used in punch -presses, to cause the engagement of a rocking arm with a shaft 61, the latter being fast to a pulley 62 driven by a belt 63 conarm 67 mav be adjustably mounted a guideplate 68, which will be substantially parallel with the bed of the main frame 10 whenthe arm 67 is swung to its down position. The platen 50 may be mounted on a shaft 50 in the lower ends of two vertical crossarm members 70 at the front of a platenframe 71 that is pivotally connected at the rear to a lower arm .7 2 of a bell-crank lever 73 pivoted on a shaft 73 mounted on the top of the platen-arm 67. Overhanging pins 74 in the upper ends of the cross-arm members 70 may loosely slide upon the upper face of the guide-plate 68. Rollers 7 5, mounted on a shaft 76 in said cross-arm members 70, may engage against the lower faces of the guide-plate 68 and also against rollers 77 on the platen-shaft 50 for reducing friction when the platen is being rolled over one of the printing plates 12. A contractile spring 78, having one end secured to theframe 71 and the other to the platenarm 67 {may be arranged for yieldingly holding the rollers in engagement against lower faces of the guide-plate 68. To prevent the upper end of the platen-arm 67 from being lowered too far, a stop rod 79, whose lower end engages against the frame 10, is threaded into a lug 80 onthe side of the platen-arm 67, andds provided with an adjusting lock nut 81.

The following described mechanism for rolling the platen 50 rearwardly may be provided. An operating device 82 (see Figure 1), having laterally projecting lugs 83 and 84, may be loosely mounted on the shaft 67 and be operatively connected, by means of a link-member 85, with the operating member 65. One end of an arm 87 arranged between lugs 83 and 84 may be loosely mounted on the shaft 67 and have its other end connected by a pin 88 to the lower end of an upwardly extending link 89, whose upper end may be loosely connected with the up per arm 73* of the lever 73. One end of a link 90 may also be loosely engaged about the pin 88, and have its other end loosely connected with the upper end of an arm 91,

whose lower end is loosely engaged about a pin 92 in they end of a rearwardly project ing portion of the platen-arm 67. The opcrating member 65 moves-through aportion of its clockwise travel Without affecting the arm 87. The device 82 will, however, swing until the lug. 84 engages the arm 87, and moves the latter together with the link 89 upwardly. The arm 73 Will now be swung upwardly and the arm 72 rearward ly, the latter moving with it the platen 50 which has been swung down against the printing bed. The lug 83 upon return movement of the operating member 65 will en-' gage the arm 87- to move it downwardly and thereby effect, through the above-described lever system, the return movement of the platen 50 to a starting position. The arm 91 is engaged by a tensile spring 93 which tends to pull it clockwise, and cause it to actthrough links 89 and 90 and the lever 7 3, so as to hold the platen in its rear posi-" tion until the platen-arm 57 has been raised. The positioning of the rearwardly moving platen in front of the-carbon-sheets 20 prevents a'ny used and weakened portions -of the carbon-sheets from being subjected to strain from the movement of the platen,

and also guards against any creeping of the ly and rearwardly on-rollers 97 on the main frame. An arm 100 fast on shaft 67 rotates clockwise with the latter upon downward movement of the platen 50, and beingconnected by a link 101 to aishort arm 102 of the lever 103, pivoted on a pin 104. swings the lever 103 counterclockwise,- and the latter, being connected by' a link 106 with the movable frame 96, pulls the latter with it rearwardly. The rearmost set of dogs 95 engages behind the lowermost plate. 12 in the magazine 11, and, upon upward movement of the platen," moves the plate forward. Upon successive printing cycles of the platen, the plate is pushed in turn by the second and third sets of dogs to printingposition on the bed of the frame 10 and on out to the curved end-portion 107, where it may slide by gravity down against a swinging stacking finger 108, which acts to stack the used plates in the second magazine 109 in the same order-they were arranged in magazine 11'. The web W may be fed-through the addressing machine ;by;' the operative p'ulling it ahead, againstthe slight tension, due to the Weight of the stretch of-Web in the rear of the magazine 11, from rear to front, step by .step, and gaging it to printing position by bringing a. transverse fold line 110 even with a gage pin 111, which may have a rearwardly extending body 112 provided with a lengthwise slot for adjustably fas-' 1 tening the pin by means of a screw 114 to a front portion 21 of the plate 21. To

hold the web W lightly taut at printing position and in close proximity to the plate 12'under it, two thin plate-members 115 and 116 may be integrally fastened to .the

front portion 21 in front of and behind the ribbon 42, and extend partly over the web in engaging it, The rear plate'llti may have an upwardly curved rear edge 116 to guard against the'transverse fold lines of;

the web catching on the plate as the web passes'under the plate.

This method of feeding the web W- through the addressing machine permits the use of a standard addressing machine arranged with a few inexpensive additional parts, and is well adapted for use 'with a roller-platen-type of machine, since any tendency for the rearwardly rolling platen to buckle or pull top plies of the web with it, can be easily and conveniently resisted by the operatives hold on -a portion of the webahead of the platen. By transversely fan-folding the web W into a pile before feeding'it through the addressing machine, there is provided a distinct and convenient gaging mark for each form. It also permits the printed portion of the web to be arranged flator on edge on a work-pile W", -so that its leading edge may be accessible for convenient feeding to a fan-fold typewriting machine as is set forth insaid application. Additional information, such as a memorandum offdeposits, may be. manifoldly typed on a set of forms as required, the forms being fed through the typewriting machine in the same order they were 1 fed through the addressing machine. This method permits the memoranda of the additional information to be typed on the several forms, and to be conveniently kept in the same alphabetical order as the print ed plates 12. When the required information is typed onv the forms of a set, the set may be severed from the web with its several forms left connected along the endfold lines, until the information has been ..checked and approved.

In Figure 7 is illustrated how adjoining forms F, F and F ofa set in the web fanfolded la'titudinally areal'ternately'printed machine at the rear and near the bottom of said magazine, two anti-friction rollers mounted at the top of said magazine, one at the front and one at the rear thereof, a roller mounted on said machine at the front of said ,magazine a short distance above said printing bed, said rollers adjacent said magazine being laterally disposed and arranged for passing a forwardly-fed workweb over the same from a work-pack below the bottom ofsaid magazine at the rear thereof, and along said printing 'bed to printing position under said roller-platen, and means for lightly pressing said workaveb against said printing bed adjacent said printing position, said rollers and said means co-operating to permit the weight of saidweb behind said magazine to keep slightly taut the stretch of said web disposed on said printing bed to the rear of printing position.

2. In an addressing machine, the combination of a printing bed, a type-plate magazine, a platen movable toward the printing bed and movable rearwardly thereon to make type-plate impressions on a workweb fed from rear to front, anti-friction guide means for guiding said work-web from a work-pile in the rear of said magazine and adjacent said printing bed to printing position, and instrumentalities cooperating with said means for maintaining said work-web slightly taut to the rear of said printing position.

' 3. Ina multiple addressing machine, the

combination of addressing means, a rearwardly-moving roller-platen, a carbonholder arranged to hold carbonsheets at their rear edges interleaved with a plural- .ity of work-plies in printing position, and

means for moving said carbon-holder -to bring successive portions of. said carbonsheets to printing position.

4. In a multiple addressing machine, the combination of addressing means, a rearwardly moving roller-platen, a carbonholder arranged to hold carbon-sheets in-. terleaved with a plurality of work-webs in printing position, and means for feeding the carbon-sheets from rear to front to bring successive portions thereof to printing position. r

5. In an addressing machine, the combination of a main frame, a printing bed, a platen, a -platen-carrying' mechanism arranged to move said platen downwardly to engage against a multiple-ply work-web on said printing bed and roll said platen rearwardly, a carbon-holder mounted on said frame in the rear of said printing bed, and carbon-sheets in; said carbon-holder interleaved with the work-plies of said web, said web being fed through said machine from rear to front, said carbon-sheets extending forwardly from said carbon holder.

6. In an addressing machine, the combination of a printing bed, a roller-platen, a platen-carrying mechanism operable to move said platen downwardly for engaging against and rolling rearwardly on a workweb, the latter being arranged to be pulled step by step by an operatives hands from rear to front through said machine, and means controllable by the operativ-es foot for effecting the operation of said platencarrying mechanism.

7 In an addressing machine, the combination of a printing bed, a platen arranged for rolling rearwardly on said printing bed in engagement with a longitudinally-fan-folded web, carbon-sheets interleaved with the folds of said web, and a carbon-holder positioned for holding said carbon-sheets interleaved with the folds of said web, so that the pull of said web resulting from action of said rolling platen will not tear said carbonsheets loose from said carbon-holder. I

8. In a multiple addressing machine, the

combination of a main frame, an addressing means, aplaten arranged for rolling rearwardly on said frame in engagement with a longitudinally-fan-folded web, carbon-sheets interleaved with the folds of said web, and a carbon-holder for holding said carbonsheets mounted on said frame to the rear of the rearmost travel of said platen.

9. In a multiple addressing machine, the

combination of a main frame, an addressing means, and a platen arranged for rolling rearwardly' on said frame 1n engagement with a longitudinally-fan-folded web manually fed from rear to front, a carbon-holder being adjustably mounted on said frame for normally moving carbon-sheets, so that the new portions of said carbon-sheets may be moved to printing position in the same di ection as the Web moves through said machine.

10..In an addressing machine, the combination of a main frame, means for printinga work-web manually fed from rear to front through said machine, carbon-sheets interleaved with the plies of said web, a carbon-holder for said carbon-sheets, means for adjustably mounting said carbon-holder on said. frame, said mounting means including an upper movable plate supporting sa.d carbon-holder, a, pair of downwardly-projecting pins on said plate, a base-plate fastencd to said frame in the rear of the printing position of said machine, and arranged with a plurality of pairs of holes arranged for receiving sa;d projecting pins, and flexible. fingers pivoted on said base-plate andv -ment with said means.

12. In .an addressmg machine, the com bination with a main frame including a printing bed, and means for printing a work-web'manually fed from rear to front through said machine, of plate-members supported on said frame and extending from one side over said web for pressing the lat-, ter lightly against said bed at printing position of said machine, and adjustable side gages for said web supported on said frame in front of the printing position of saidmachine, said front side gages being arranged to extend inwardly over said web avshort distance, to guard against the web being inadvertently moved from under said plates or from between said gages while being fed through said machine.

13. In an addressing machine, the combination of a main frame, a printing bed, means forprinting a work-web manually fed from rear to front throughsaid machine, adjustable side gages arranged for guiding said web through said machine at right angles to the printing line thereof, and flat plates extending partly across said web, and arranged for holding the web constantly in close proximity to said printing bed.

14. In a multiple-addressing machine having a main frame, the combination witha motor-driven addressing means, of foot0perable means actuable by an operative at the delivery end of said machine for controlling the operation of said motor-driven means, a printing bed, means including a lateral guide-member .at each side of said frame adjacent the ends-of said main frame for guiding a work-web pulled ahead length- Qwise of said printing bed to printing position thereon by said operative, and a device for gaging said work-web to printingposition, said device being positioned adjacent said deliveryfend to be conveniently viewed by said operative.

15. In a multiple-addressing machine, the' combination of an addressing means arranged for moving a roller-platen rearwardly on a work-web, which is fed forwardly through said machine, a carbonholder in the rear of printing position arranged to hold carbon-sheets interleaved with a' plurality of work-plies of said web at printing position, and means for feeding the carbon-holder, step by step, to dispose 'suc- I cessively used portions of the carbon-sheets in front ofpr.nting position, so that said Work-plies creeping under action of said moving roller will not engage with and tend to rupture the weakened used portions of said carbon-sheets.

16. In a multiple ad'dressing machine, the combination of a plate-holding means for holding type-platesin effective position, a

platen arranged for rolling rearwardlyon said type-plates at printing position, a ribbon-guide between the platen and the effec tive position of the plates for marking the first ply of awork-web, and carbon-sheets interleavedbetween other web-plies and located between the platen and the effective position of the'plates for marking a superposed work-ply at the same operation.

1-7. In a multiple addressing machine, the combination of arearWar'dly-rolling platen, type-plate-moving means arranged for cooperating with said platen to move new type-plates'to printing position, a plurality of type-plates, and a plurality of manifolding means between the platen and the printing position of the type-plates for co-operation with the type-plates to manifold successive sections of superposed Work-plies .fed

through the machine in the opposite direction to the movement of said platen.

18. In an addressing machine, the com-, bination of a main frame, a motor-driven- .printing means, a foot-control mechanism for said printing means, and instrumental--' ities for laterally guiding a work-Web pulled through said machineby an operative at the delivery end of said machine, said instrumentalities including two sets of side guide-members, the first being positioned at the rear of the printing. positionof' said machine and the second at the front of the printing position, a gage disposed in'front of the printing position for stopping sai'd work-web tl1ereat, said second set of side members being positioned ashort distance in advance of said gage, whereby said operative may conveniently manipulate said work-web and use said gage while keeping his foot on said mechanism.

19. In an addressing machine, the com.- bination of a printing bed, a roller-platen arranged to'be swung downwardly against said bed and moving rearwardly thereon,

and means including a plate disposed on each side of the printing position and extending across a Work-web for continuously holding the latter in close proximity to said .bed at the printing position as it is fed forwardly, the rear plate having an upturned portion to provide an entrance throat for said work-web.

20. In a multiple-addressing machine, the combination with an addressing machine, a printing-plate magazine positioned adjacent the rear of said machine, a printing bed forward of said magazine and a roller 1 on each side of the printing position of said machine, said means and'said instrumentalities co-operating to keep said web smooth and taut when it is stopped to be printed.

21. In an addressing machine, the combination with a horizontal printing bed, a

printing plate disposed in printing position on 'said bed, airoller-platen movable across said plate, and means for feeding an inked ribbon across said printing plate to print data on a work-web fed over said printing position step by step, of means forpressing said work-web lightly and continuously 'down against said printing bed, and instru-.

mentalities for holding said work-web out of contact with said inked ribbon while said web is being fed forwardly, whereby the web maybe kept free from smudging by said ribbon.

22. In an addressing machine, the combination with a printing bed over which may be fed from rear to front a cross-folded multiple-ply work-web, each of the plies of said web being previously printed on its lower side with a series of forms, the folds of said Web having a definite relation to said forms, and the plies of said Web being fed through said machine with their unprinted side's up, of a gaging device positioned for- -wardly of the printing position and arranged-for co-operation with said foldsto gage said forms to printing position on said printing bed. i

- JESSE A. B. SMITH. 

